Oil painting has been with us for many years and remains one of the main techniques used in modern art. The pigments used are extracted from various seeds that include, among others, walnut, safflower, poppy seeds and linseed. The artist can develop the paints themselves or can obtain those commercially available in art stores. If you are venturing into this area, there are a number of oil painting techniques that you may wish to know of.

One of the most popular techniques is the use of layers. In this method, the artist will first paint one layer on the canvas and let it dry. Other colors are then applied in an overlapping manner so that they completely cover those underneath them. The general advice when this method is used is that one chooses lighter colors and then progressively moves to darker colors. Layering is preferably used for a painting that requires fine details and a fine surface finish.

Glazing is another technique that can be learned and applied easily. The technique involves the use of a transparent paint against a background of darker paints. This is usually done so as to achieve various effects that may be associated with aspects such as hue, texture and chroma. Related to the same is the creation of a transparent glass impression. To achieve this, use a pure transparent color and contrast it with darker colors.

Color intensification can be easily achieved using oil paints. The idea is to create different shades of the same color. This is achieved by diluting the paint in various stages. The background contains the most diluted density such that it contrasts with the denser objects in the foreground.

Just as is the case with many other forms of painting, it is possible to achieve color blocking using this technique. This can be done easily using diluted brush strokes and following the outlines of objects in the paintings. This technique makes it possible to clearly define the edges of objects without necessarily using thicker paint. Use the same color that are used inside the object.

Chiaroscuro is a technique that has been used for many years. It is mainly used when there is a need to bring volume to an object. The main consideration when applying this technique is the application of light and dark contrasting to demonstrate the movement of light across the object. Choose a neutral background and ensure that the shadows are completely black.

Monochromatic painting is a technique that makes use of just one color. Usually, the color is diluted to different degrees so as to obtain a wide range of shades of the same color. To increase the available option, white color is also used in addition to the base color. Its main role is to add volume and relief and to emphasize the lighter shades of the chosen color.

There are different brush stroke sizes that can used in defining and differentiating objects within a painting. Long strokes, short jabs and even dots can be used depending on the desired effect. Small strokes are preferred for objects that are in the foreground. Non-representational strokes can be used to produce the color and the object simultaneously.